


I will try (to fix you)

by Nival_Vixen



Series: Word of the day [5]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Complete, Depressed Derek Hale, Derek Hale is Bad at Feelings, Derek Has Feelings, Derek doesn't know how to deal with his feelings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everybody Lives, Light Angst, M/M, Stiles Helps, Stiles Helps Derek, except the Hales
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-05-13
Packaged: 2018-01-24 14:53:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1609139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nival_Vixen/pseuds/Nival_Vixen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek is emotional, no one knows why, and it's bringing his betas down. They turn to Stiles for help, because after three years, Stiles always knows how to fix Derek.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Based on the word of the day challenge on Tumblr - ad hominem</p>
            </blockquote>





	I will try (to fix you)

Three wolves crowded around Stiles after he left work, cornering him against his Jeep.

"You have to help Derek, Stiles. Look at this face," Erica said, showing him a photo of Derek on her phone.

Despite the low quality of the photo, Stiles could still see that this wasn't anything like Derek's usual brooding face.

"You're taking an _ad hominem_ approach here guys, and you'd do better to appeal to my sense of reason, just so you know," Stiles informed them.

"I've got no idea what that even means, Stiles," Isaac pointed out, frowning. "Will you help? Derek's been so emotional and nothing I do helps. It's gotten to the point where I can't even stand to be in the same room as him; he smells so _down_ and I don't know why or what to do."

"Why don't you ask Scott?" Stiles asked, looking between them.

"We tried, but he has a date with Allison," Erica said, pouting. "You have to help, please. We've never seen him like this! Tell him, Boyd," she added, nudging her boyfriend with her elbow.

"Please, Stiles," Boyd said.

Stiles raised his eyebrows in surprise, staring at Boyd for a moment. "Holy fuck, you really mean it, don't you?"

They all nodded sombrely. Stiles sighed and rested his forehead on the edge of his car door. "Fine, I'll do it. Go out to a movie or something; I don't want to see you at the loft for the rest of the night."

"Thank you, Batman!" Erica said happily, hugging him tightly.

"Thanks, Stiles. Oh, uh... Do you have money for the movies?" Isaac asked hopefully.

Stiles took his wallet out and held up a few notes. Isaac thanked him again, Boyd touching his shoulder briefly, and then they were gone. Stiles sighed, pocketed his wallet and got into his Jeep, wondering just how on earth he was going to get Derek _Broody McBroodypants_ Hale talking _this time_.

It had taken a year or three, but Stiles had started to work out a system to get Derek talking through whatever was bothering him. When Derek was angry, he needed to exercise for a few hours and then gorge out on pizza. When he was irritable, he needed to clean and usually scrubbed anything that Stiles pointed him towards until it sparkled. When he was tired, hot tea and card games worked (he could play Old Maid like nobody's business). When Derek was thinking about his family (or it was close to a holiday like Christmas, 4th of July, Labour Day, Bank Holiday, _anything_ really) he needed to be distracted with cheesy movies and TV shows. On days like those, Stiles made sure he was too distracted to brood over his photo albums of Laura, New York, and the recent photos of Cora (there were also a few of the pack that no one realised Derek had taken until afterwards, and Stiles still grinned at the one of Isaac and Boyd actually laughing at something Erica had said).

Sometimes the others could be there with them, other times Stiles knew to get them out so he and Derek could be alone, and there were a few times when he knew that Derek couldn't even handle his presence. Those were the worst, and Stiles usually set Derek up with whatever he needed and waited in his Jeep until Derek came out the next morning. (His sleeping bag and a spare pillow were always kept in the boot as a precaution.)

This time Stiles was up against an unknown, and if it had the rest of the pack that worried, then he knew it was something he hadn't dealt with before. There were no upcoming Hale birthdays nor anniversaries (the first year of the fire's anniversary without Laura had been one of the worst things Stiles had seen anyone experience, and that included his father on the first wedding anniversary without his wife). Stiles started driving, figuring he could work something out when he actually knew what was going on with Derek.

...

Derek didn't even lift his head from the lounge when Stiles made his way into the lift, though they both knew that he'd probably heard Stiles' Jeep ten minutes ago.

"Hey, Der. What's up?" Stiles asked, leaning over the top of the lounge to grin at him.

Derek just looked back at him and didn't reply. Okay, not a single response then (even if there was a single eyebrow twitch, Stiles could usually work out what was wrong with Derek).

"That good, huh? No problem. I've got cards, marshmallows, a few new movies, and a pizza ready to order via app. What do you need?" he asked, offering a smile.

Again, there was no reply, just a blank expression, and Stiles didn't know what to do. He usually had something out of Derek by now. He frowned slightly, thinking of something else that usually made him feel better even though others probably thought it was childish, and headed towards Derek's bedroom.

Derek closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing, trusting Stiles. He heard noises, a grunt here and there, scraping along the floor, but didn't open his eyes yet.

"Hey, Der. C'mon, I've got just what you need," Stiles said, taking one of Derek's hands to tug him into a sitting position.

He allowed him to be helped up, and slowly opened his eyes to find ... a mess. Blankets and sheets were pegged together (where Stiles found pegs, Derek didn't know) and resting over three chairs to make a cave. Pillows and blankets were piled up beneath the cover, and Stiles had one side open so the TV could be seen.

"My mum used to do this when I was little. We'd spend all day in there watching Disney movies. I've got a selection of Pixar, but if you want to watch anything in particular, just let me know and I'll get it for you," Stiles offered, smiling softly.

Derek squeezed Stiles' hand, trying to convey his thanks and gratitude without words. His hand was squeezed in return, Stiles helping him stand up before nudging him over to the nest in his very own cave. It was just what Derek didn't know he'd needed, and he took a moment to hug Stiles warmly, thankful that he had a mate who would always know how to fix him.

...

The end.

Thanks for reading!


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